We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andrea Jahde. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andrea below.

Andrea, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Almost every entrepreneur we know has considered donating a portion of their sales to an organization or cause – how did you make the decision of whether to donate? We’d love to hear the backstory if you’re open to sharing the details.

Jahde raises money in different ways around the community of Charleston. An example was during an exclusive runway show on October 18th, 2018. We donated a portion of proceeds from ticket sales to support arts programming at Meeting Street Academy, a groundbreaking early education initiative founded upon the belief that all children deserve an excellent education regardless of their geographic or socioeconomic circumstances.

Andrea, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My background is in design, mastering in Interior Architecture and Product Design from Kansas State University. I went on to pursue footwear design, studying at Cordwainer’s part of the London College of Fashion and an apprenticeship at Cole Hann. In 2017, I launched JAHDE Leather in our flagship Queen Street Atelier. We started with a 20-piece collection of hand crafted luxury leather goods. Our accessories are designed to be worn with your closet staples, including our signature leather neckwear. We design for travel, multi-function, and functionality. I’m most proud of our molded Council Belt bag that can be worn 3 ways; a clutch, a belt bag, and crossbody. It is a truly handcrafted bag that has over a 50 steps including hand dyeing and hand sewing, made by our highly skilled artisans.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Secrets of Great Leaders: The 50 Strategies You Need to Inspire and Motivate (Teach Yourself) by Carol O’Connor and Creative Mind and Success by Ernest Holmes

Have you ever had to pivot?

During covid shutdown we were able to take advantage of being our own manufacturer and pivot to make things people needed in their homes and making protective masks for our clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jahdemade.com
• Instagram: jahdemade
• Youtube: @jahdemade

Image Credits
Ashley Stanol for most of the photos. Anne Rhett (runway show), and Leigh Ann Beverley (green door headshot)